Tri-Service

PTI For Fifty Years? You Bet!

Popular Andover Physical Training Instructor (PTI) Barry Atkins has just celebrated his 70th birthday with a circuit training session at Army Headquarters in Andover, where he has run training sessions in the gymnasium for 16 years.

The softly spoken fitness guru, whose secret to a long and healthy life is ‘enjoy everything in moderation’, puts his healthy physical condition down to inheriting good genes and his enjoyment of sport and fitness throughout his life.

Barry joined the Royal Corps of Signals in 1964 as a radio relay operator-turned-PTI before finding his wings and joining the RAF teaching skiing, rock climbing and canoeing. With a couple of stints on civvy street ‘driving lorries for a change of scene’, Barry has dedicated his very lengthy career to training soldiers and civilians in military health and fitness.

Barry takes spinning, extreme circuits and circuit training for up to 70 people at a time. On leading such popular high intensity training sessions when most people of his age are enjoying the quiet life, Barry says: “I’ve never given it a thought. I’ve always kept myself in good condition as much as I could.

“I come in to work because I enjoy it. I do circuit training and spinning. I get a buzz from that. I try to keep as much variety going on. Sometimes I wake up in the night with an idea and jot it down, trial it and then produce it. I’ve enjoyed my life, I wouldn’t change it.”

Barry, who lives in Andover, jointly runs the admin of the gym as well as all the Personal Fitness Assessments (PFA) for the Army and all the inductions. He says: “I think the clientele is fantastic. They come voluntarily. If they didn’t want to come, they wouldn’t. And when we get on average 50 to 70 people to a circuit training session, it tells its own story. It’s lovely to see so many people.”

Reflecting on his time in the military, Barry said: “I did quite a lot of travelling with the Army, including diving expeditions off Italy. I travelled a lot more with the Air Force. I was a PTI as well, but mostly taught in outdoor centres, skiing, rock climbing, canoeing. That was a nice job. I finished off at recruit training.”

On civvy street before joining the Civil Service in 1994, Barry drove buses and worked as a PTI for 900 disabled women at Harperbury Hospital (now closed). “I used to take classes for everybody from passive exercise - moving limbs - to taking Downs Syndrome girls for PT in the gym, which was fantastic. They were lovely people.

“I’ve enjoyed my life, I wouldn’t change it.”

WO1 Will Craig, Command Master Photographer at Army HQ joins Barry’s weekly circuits, and has nothing but praise for the veteran PTI. “Barry is an inspiration; not only to me, but to Army and civilian staff that participate in his circuit training every day. He’s an outstanding role model and gives us all hope if we can follow Barry’s regime.